Each study (with one exception) satisfied the following inclusion criteria: (1) longitudinal design (ie, medication treatment preceded the measurement of substance outcomes), (2) binary measure to identify children with ADHD, (3) binary substance use and abuse or dependence measures, (3) available data to calculate proportions of children with ADHD treated vs not treated with stimulant medication with substance use and abuse or dependence outcomes or reported odds ratios (ORs), and (5) publication between January 1980 and February 2012. In the case of Mannuzza et al,16 all inclusion criteria were met with the exception of the study population of children with ADHD. Instead, children diagnosed as having a reading disorder who did and did not receive stimulant medication treatment were evaluated. Similar to children with ADHD, children with a reading disorder were more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder than healthy controls.17 Thus, all individuals in this meta-analysis were at increased risk for substance problems.
